TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — After a rash of injuries, 31-year-old wide receiver Sterling Shepard thought his career might be coming to an end. That was until his former college teammate Baker Mayfield reached out about joining the Bucs.
A few days later, the veteran wideout is now getting a fresh start in Tampa Bay. Something Mayfield knows all too well about.
“He’s a veteran guy that’s going into year nine,” Mayfield said. “He’s had some injuries in the past, but he’s looking for a fresh start and obviously I can relate to that part.”
Back in 2015, Mayfield and Shepard were one of the most dynamic quarterback-wide receiver duos in college football, connecting for more than 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns during their one season together at Oklahoma. While they likely won’t be able to recreate that level of production, Mayfield says Shepard will bring a lot of energy and a team-first mentality to the Bucs.
“He’s a guy that’s always got a smile on his face. He works his tail off and he brings a little juice when it comes to the mental side of things. He’s an unbelievable guy, unbelievable teammate, in terms of his work ethic. Obviously, he’s not the biggest guy but he works to be able to compete at this level. He’s not a selfish guy—it’s never been about him, it’s always been about, whether it was Oklahoma football…Obviously, with his dad playing there, he was always a program guy. Then, in the NFL, it’s about, ‘How do you win?’ He carries that same mentality and works his tail off to do it.”
